Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Gettin' Sauced with Corning Ware - Cornflower Saucemaker Trio

It's been awhile since I have talked about the SauceMakers.

Those really strange shaped pieces made by Corning Glass Works' Consumer Products Division starting in 1963 and discontinued at the end of 1974. SauceMakers, according to the catalogs, were available in 1 quart (P-55/P-64) & 2 quart (P-65) sizes. Be aware that not all SauceMakers are actually stamped with their model number (none of mine are - neither my Cornflower nor the 2 Wheat ones currently in my collection)

The only SauceMaker to last through the entire 11 year production period was the 1 quart Saucemaker, which appeared in several patterns other than Cornflower; such as Wheat, American Oil & Floral Bouquet as well as All White. The 1 quart started life in 1963 as the P-55 (no lid). By 1964, a lid was added to the piece and it was packaged as the P-64. Both models were available until 1968, at which point, the P-55 was dropped all together and only the P-64 remained.

The 2 quart Saucemaker had a much shorter life span from 1964-1970. This particular piece was always packaged with a lid as the P-65. While it's life span was shorter, it did manage to come in several patterns; Cornflower, Wheat and All White.

Before I continue, it should be noted that the White Cookmates versions of the 1 quart (SM-1) & 2 quart (SM-2) SauceMaker were produced until about 1976 before being
discontinued.

The small 1 pint SauceMaker is still a bit of a mystery. It appears to have never been released to the market, though at least 8 have been accounted for at this point. CMOG (Corning Museum of Glass) has one labeled as a Prototype P-5.

(Photo courtesy of Rakow Library - CMOG)

But what bothers me is that it has a lid. Now the 1 quart P-55 was released first, without a lid. So wouldn't that mean that this one was produced later? And if it was produced later, then why is it a P-5 instead of a P-63; following suit with the P-64 and P-65? And just WHAT is under that sticker? Is it really only a "-B" or is it some other number? Maybe P-54?

Needless to say, mine has nothing printed on it to give any clue as to what the model number is or whether it actually a prototype or not. It has a lid and, because the lug is the same as a petite pan, uses a P-41-HG for a handle... (P-5? on Left)

The P-55/P-64 (right) & P-65 have standard P-series lugs and use the standard P-10-HG handle.

(P-55/P-64 in back - P-5? in front)

(P-55/P-64 top - P-5? bottom)

None of the lids have the model numbers on them... Being P-64-C (1 quart), P-65-C (2 quart) and potentially P-5-C or P-63-C or even P-54-C (for the 1 pint)

18 comments:

Hi Shane. New here, and so happy to have found your site. Thank you for all the info! I'd like to know your thoughts on the accessory pieces out there. To be specific, I recently found a blue cornflower sugar shake, syrup dispenser, and salt and pepper shake. Obviously they aren't cookware, but do you know if Corning Ware actually made them to be part of their line? Trying to decide if I want to branch out to these other pieces or not. Thanks!

There are may pieces out there that made slightly modified versions of Corning's cornflower pattern, to try and catch the market. Sadly, Corning only made the cookware, but there were licensed companies that made accessories such as Gemco and Dispensers, Inc. Personally, I do not collect these items as I am not decorating my kitchen with cornflowers, just utilizing the cookware for it's ease of use and convenient "one pot does it all" nature.

Do you know if this sauce maker can be used on the range? I assume it can since it's a sauce maker, but I saw no markings on it indicating where it can be used. Just want to make sure before I use it anywhere. Thanks!

I never had these but I do have a round saucepan with lid with markings inside. Just plain white. Kinda wish they were making these when I started buying Corning Ware but I was in middle school when these were discontinued. I can see them being really handy for pouring. I used to have the stove top pans that were square and I had several handles in several sizes. All in Spice of Life. Sold them in the 90s when I bought my house and switched to Chantal stovetop enameled cookware (which I still love).

I just picked up a sauce pan. It has a lid and has P-55-B printed on the side. Says it is 32 oz Made in Canada for Range and Microwave.Now I am confused after reading the above as to what I have.Could you shed some light?Thanks

Congratulations! You found a SauceMaker from the Leaside, Ontario plant. Nice find! Canadian pieces tend to be marked in ounces and cups vs those from the U.S., which are marked in ounces and quarts.. at least earlier pieces. Eventually Corning switched to metric measurements across the board.

Interesting! Husband's gma handed down a P-55-B to us. Was not familiar w this odd-shaped little dish, so some research let me here. How do people use these dishes in today's kitchens? It's sort of redundant w other vintage Corning/Pyrex I already have, so I'd love to hear how other people put these to practical use.

I have had this saucemaker (minus the handle) for over 50 years! I use it DAILY for little envelope mixes, muffins, salad dressings, smoothies, hot choc., and best of all for beating XX cream. Its flat bottom and deep walls are perfect for a handmixer! I dropped a heavy dish on top of it earlier this week and chipped it badly. I am on "the hunt" to find a replacement ASAP from ebay. This little bowl has been the most-used dish in my cupboard for over 50 years, and was a wedding shower gift. It doesn't look very exciting, but it is wonderful. I have the four-cup version. It is a star in my kitchen. It is the only bowl I use to mix up popovers and crepes! I do not use it on the stove, however.

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